Neo-Liberalism at the core of climate crisis

18 April 2016 12:11

President Sjöö identified how neo liberalism is a driver for adverse carbon pollution.

“To fight climate change we also need to oppose neo-liberal free
trade agreements that can undermine both workers’ rights and necessary
reforms to save the planet – such as the Transatlantic Trade and
Investment Partnership and the Trans-Pacific Partnership that are
currently being negotiated. In addition to being anti-democratic, both
of these documents put corporate profits above human needs. Both
documents also create barriers to local and community actions designed
to promote a circular and just economy by allowing profit based
challenges to overrule climate smart policies.”

“The history of neo-liberalism is one of subjugation: the
subjugation of the planet, the subjugation of workers, and the
subjugation of people of colour, women, and indigenous peoples. We have
all suffered as a result of this subjugation. It is important to also
remind ourselves that these actions to destroy the planet and workers
for profit are not an accident. It is at the core of neo liberalism and
is its inevitable outcome.”

He also called for trade unions to reach to to non-traditional social partner.

“More importantly, we need to grow, unify, and strengthen the
movement for climate justice. The politicians will not act unless there
is a strong pressure from below. We, trade unions and workers of the
world need to be part of building this movement. We need to reach out
to other non-traditional social partners to help them and to educate
them to what we know; that is, social degradation is the foundational
cause for environmental degradation and until we can unite the various
climate change advocates we will continue to be less effective then we
need to be.”

BWI General Secretary, Ambet Yuson, echoed his President’s call for
unity. “The trade Union movement can not by itself force MNC’s to put
social and environmental justice in front of short-term profits. For
this to happen we need to build a global coalition well beyond the
borders of trade unions. This means that every union member must carry
this conversation to their dinner table, and to church and other social
groups. We need to become a force that cannot be ignored”.

BWI calls on all its members and friends to contact their national
government delegates to ask them to support including the “just
transition” language in Chapter 2 of the Paris climate document.